The Navigator News and Information

for Residence Life and Housing Professionals

Get Connected—Stay Involved

/NEACUHO /NEACUHO

@NEACUHO NEACUHO.org

Hello NEACUHO! I hope you are having a great start to the year on your campus. Now that our students have settled in, they will certainly begin to look to you for “support” in whatever capacity you can provide. As the weather gets colder, the demands on our staff will continue to present unique challenges. I am excited to present many opportunities for escape during this upcom-ing academic year. Not only can you take a break from your day to day, you can network with colleagues from all across the region and review best practices in many of the focus areas we all work in. You may learn a new way to help “support” your residential student body that you never even considered. Some of the best and most impactful learning happens in these conference settings. Consider contributing with a presentation of your own. The preparation process often helps people refine their own understanding of the topic, and the organization gets to benefit from your wisdom and experience. I will continue the President’s Update e-mail series as a way to inform the membership of our progress as an organization. I also offer myself as a resource to anyone seeking assistance as would any member of the Executive Board. Please feel free to reach out to me for questions or concerns ttouchette@brandeis.edu. If you are thinking about getting involved DO IT! We have so many ways to connect, visit www.neacuho.org and select from one of the many committees. This is going to be an exciting year with many events all across the region. I hope to see you out and about and look for-ward to leading this organization into the future.

Dr. Tim Touchette

President - NEACUHO

Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Barnard College Bates College Binghamton University Boston Conservatory Brandeis University Bridgewater State University Bryant University Cazenovia College Central Connecticut State University Clark University Colby-Sawyer College College of Mount Saint Vincent College of Saint Rose Dean College Dominican College Eastern Connecticut State University Elms College Hartwick College Hobart & William Smith Colleges Hofstra University Iona College Johnson and Wales University Johnson State College LeMoyne College Lyndon State College Maine College of Art Marist College Marymount Manhattan College Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences University Boston Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences University Worcester Mercy College Merrimack College Mitchell College Mount Ida College New Hampshire Technical Institute, Concord’s Community College Nichols College Pace University - PLV/BRC Plymouth State University Quinnipiac University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rivier University Roger Williams University Saint Anselm College Salve Regina University

Siena College Skidmore College Southern Connecticut State University Southern New Hampshire University Southern Vermont College Springfield College St. John Fisher College St. Lawrence University Suffolk University SUNY College at Broome SUNY College at Cobleskill SUNY College at Cortland SUNY College at Geneseo SUNY College at Morrisville SUNY College at Potsdam SUNY College of Technology at Delhi Syracuse University The Juilliard School The New School Tompkins Cortland Community College Union College University of Connecticut University of Hartford University of Maine University of Massachusetts- Amherst University of New Hampshire University of Saint Joseph Wagner College Wells College Westfield State University Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Member Institutions

Not a member institution?

It’s not too late to JOIN!

www.neacuho.org for details

Or, email Nate Gordon,

Membership Coordinator

at nathan.gordon@uconn.edu

NEACUHO is an organization of housing, residential life, and student services professionals and paraprofessionals

within the Northeast region dedicated to providing opportunities for colleague support, professional development,

sharing of information, collaboration, communication, research, and

recognition of outstanding contributions to the field.

NEACUHO VISION STATEMENT

To be the premier housing and

residence life organization

in the northeast.

The Organizational Structure Task Force is charged with reviewing the operational structure of the NEACUHO organiza-tion. The Task Force will study the operational capacity of other organizations under the ACUHO-I flag, and make recom-mendations on improvements, restructuring, and over all operation as it relates to the structure of the executive board and who has voting rights vs. appointed non-voting positions. The Organizational Structure Task Force is being co-chaired by Casey Wall (WPI) and Shannon Valverde (Dean College). As co-chairs their goal is to include individuals from the NEACUHO membership with a wide array of experience in the field, and within NEACUHO, in an effort to have as many different perspectives represented as possible.

Organizational Structure Task Force

NEACUHO Executive Board Members, 2014-2015

Elected Board Positions

Dr. Tim Touchette, President

Kim Gagne, Past President

Dr. Josh Hettrick, President-Elect

David Grimes, Secretary

Joe Murphy, Treasurer

Mike Guthrie, CT/RI District Coordinator

Katie Wright, Eastern NY/VT District Coordinator

John Zocco, MA District Coordinator

Sara Essember, ME/NH District Coordinator

Ryan O’Gorman, Metro NY District Coordinator

Jason Fishner, Western NY District Coordinator

Appointed Board Positions

Matthew Foster, 60th Anniversary Celebration

Mike Hamilton, Annual Conference Chair

Trish Godino Loring, Community College Liaison

Kathi Bradford, Corporate Relations Committee

Gary Bice, Jr., Historian

Jeff Bickford, Media and Publications Committee

Nate Gordon, Membership Coordinator

Jennifer Spade, New Professional Dev. Committee

Paula Randazza, Parliamentarian

Professional Development Committee– vacant

Brendon Goodridge, Program Committee

Ryan Young, Residential Operations Committee

Jennifer Crane, Risk Management and Legal Issues

Anna Morreale, Social Issues Committee

Thomas Kelly, Technology Chair

Treasurer’s Report Fiscal Year 2013-2014 Joseph R. Murphy, NEACUHO Treasurer

NEACUHO as an organization had a strong year financially in 2013-2014. So you are aware, NEACUHO’s fiscal year runs from September 1st-August 31st. In my report to the membership at this year’s Annual Conference Business Meeting at Bridgewater State University, I reported our financial status for the year-to-date. Below is an update to that report with our end-of-the-year numbers.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

BANK ACCOUNT BALANCES (ending August 31, 2013)

Operating $35,782.60

Past President $2,160.99

Reserve $51,873.03

TOTAL Bank Accounts $89,816.62

YEAR-TO-DATE EXPENSES & REVENUES (Operational & Conferences)

Expenses ($141,266.61) *includes Operational & Conference Expenses

Revenues $155,522.30 *includes Operational & Conference Gross Revenues

DIFFERENCE $14,255.69

Budget Actual Difference

YEAR-TO-DATE REVENUES

Corporate Affiliate Plan $26,650.00 $22,250.00 ($4,400.00)

Membership Dues $17,150.00 $14,650.00 ($2,500.00

Conferences (GROSS) $105,775.00 $116,849.00 $11,074.00

Past President Funds $200.00 $0.00 ($200.00)

Reserve Funds $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Roll-Over Balance $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Miscellaneous $0.00 $1,773.30 $1,773.30

TOTALS $149,775.00 $155,522.30 $5,747.30

Introducing the Issue

Jeff Bickford, Johnson State College

Welcome to the Navigator. As this year’s chair of Media and Publications, I want to thank you for taking the time to read this issue. Please let me know any feedback we can consider for the next issue. I also encourage you to submit material. You do not need to be at a cer-tain professional or expertise level. This issue contains perspectives from very new, moderately seasoned, and retired pro-fessionals. It is stronger for this diversity. We did not solicit a specific theme for this issue, but one emerged in the articles submitted: find an appropriate balance between life and work, and take care of yourself. In that light I would like to use this space to plug the Fall Drive in and New Professionals conference. If your employer can spare you, go. One of the few regrets I have from the early part of my career is that I did not pursue professional development opportunities. I let the excuses of being shy and busy at work de-rail me. Friend, we are all busy. There is always wi-fi, in case you are afraid your email will become too hideous a monster in your absence. Go to things and participate actively. If you are shy, you can sit with me at lunch. In addition to attending, consider a presentation proposal. You do not have to be an expert to present– you just have to have had an experience. Consider working with colleagues to present about a training initiative, a new policy your depart-ment is adjusting to, an interesting way of doing something. When I present, I find it enhances my own knowledge and process. The task of pulling together material and organizing my notes into a coherent 45 minutes helps sharpen my own insight and understanding. If you are reading this, you have something to offer. So, submit a program proposal. If it is de-clined, ask for feedback and try again later. My contact particulars are: Jeffrey.bickford@jsc.edu, 802.635.1491. I hope to hear from many of you. In Balance, Jeff

NEACUHO thanks our corporate partners:

Greetings CT/RI! Welcome back to another school year. We are super excited as we have so many great events this year within driving distance. RD2B is Oct 4th at University of Hartford. We look forward to seeing you there. Other events are scheduled for MCLA, Northeastern Universi-ty, Mt. Ida College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. So much going on all within a quick drive from us.

Please make sure that you renew your membership to be able to participate in all these wonderful professional development opportunities. I am pleased to announce that this year there were no changes to the membership rates from the previous year.

If you are interested in hosting an event at your institution whether a one day drive in or an annual conference, please be sure to reach out to myself (michael.guthrie@quinnipiac.edu) or President Tim Touchette (ttouchette@brandeis.edu). I am looking to host a social later in the semester in both CT and RI. I will keep you posted! Finally, shout out to University of St. Joseph for being the first school to renew from our district.

NEACUHO District Information

CT/RI

Hello Massachusetts!

I hope everyone had a great RA Training and that the start of the new semester is going well. For those of you that attended the Annual Conference in May it was great seeing everyone. It is hard to believe that we are already a month into the new year. The next NEACUHO event to keep your eyes open for is the Fall Drive In/New Professionals happening on Nov. 7th at Syracuse University.

This year there are many opportunities across the state that I hope everyone takes ad-vantage of. The ResOps, Spring RD2B, CHO Institute, and the Annual conference will all take place in Massachusetts. I sent out a message earlier this month reminding everyone to renew your membership. One of the benefits of renewing your membership are discounted rates for confer-ences and other events. If you have questions about the renewal process please let me know.

One of my goals this year is to have a couple of distinct socials or roundtables across the state. If you have any ideas for topics you would like to see at these events please send them my way. I am also looking for institutions that would be willing to host a roundtable or social. My plan is to have at least two socials/roundtables this year and would like to have one on each side of the state. Feel free to email me at jzocco@westfield.ma.edu or call me at 413-572-8470 if you have interest in hosting or if you have any questions.

Hope to see everyone throughout the year!

MA

There are lots of events in Western New York this year. Our first networking event will be on No-vember 6th, the night before the New Professionals and Drive In Conference at Syracuse University. More information will be coming out in the upcoming weeks. If your campus is in the Western NY region and you are interested in hosting a roundtable or networking event, please contact me at fish-nejt@delhi.edu.

W-NY

Greetings Maine and New Hampshire! We are off to another great academic year! I hope that you all experienced a smooth opening and easy transition back into the fall semester. I am looking forward to connecting with our district’s member institutions this year and will keep you posted on socials and/or roundtables for the fu-ture. In this edition, our district members had the opportunity to submit updates or highlights from their institution. Plymouth State University welcomes:

Ladd Raine – Assistant Director of Residential Life

Erica Burke – Residence Director

Marissa Lischinsky – Residence Director

Helen Gillies – Residence Director Southern New Hampshire University welcomes and shares:

Residence Director, Aaron Wainman

Director, Shannon Brown

Congratulations to Matt Petersons, who has just been promoted to Associate Director of Resi-dence Life! We are excited to join the leadership of SNHU as we build a Critical Thinking Initiative. Living on campus provides countless opportunities for critical reflection, and when that is joined by a focus on critical thinking in the classroom and in other out-of-class experiences, we provide students with important career and life skills. Best of luck to all for this fall semester. If your institution is interested in hosting a district social, please contact me at s.essember@snhu.edu Cheers, Sara Essember ME/NH District Coordinator

ME/NH

Greetings Eastern New York and Vermont! I hope you all had a successful training and opening and are settling well into this new semester. It was great to meet so many of you at our district social during the annual conference. I hope we can continue to connect throughout the year! I am planning to organize one district roundtable each semester. Please feel free to send me topics of interest, along with any reading materials you would like to share with your colleagues in the district. Also, if you are well versed in a certain topic and would be willing to volunteer to lead a roundtable discussion, please let me know. I would also love to hear from folks who would be in-terested in hosting a roundtable discussion at their institution! I’m looking forward to working with you all this year. Please feel free to reach out at kwright@skidmore.edu with any questions or suggestions! -Katie Wright, E-NY/VT District Coordinator

E-NY/VT

NEACUHO District Information

Greetings New Professionals in our region! My name is Jen Spade and I am the New Professionals Development Committee (NPDC) Chair for NEACUHO. I am excited you’ve decided to start your journey in Student Affairs and housing in the Northeast region. We are a close-knit group in this region and you will find many opportunities to connect with new and seasoned professionals in the ar-ea. The NPDC is working hard to provide you resources and venues to ask ques-tions, learn about our field and gain experiences to help further your career. We just hosted our first RD2B conference for undergraduate paraprofessionals to learn about what the world of a hall director is like and how to be successful in this role. We had 59 participates join us for the one day conference at the University of Hartford. Our next RD2B is February 21, 2015 at Mount Ida College. If you have staff that are looking to enter the field, regis-tration will be up on the NEACUHO website towards the beginning of February. The New Professionals Conference, “Harvesting Your Potential”, is on Friday No-vember 7, 2014 at Syracuse University. This is a great way to attend a conference that is specifically geared toward professionals within 1-3 years post master’s work. Sessions will focus on your specific needs and offer you many opportunities to ask questions of other New Professionals in the region and get to know seasoned professionals to use as role models and mentors. Registration is now live, so don’t miss out! Lastly, the NPDC is creating ways to connect with all the New Professionals in the re-gion. The committee will be hosting webinars and virtual meet-ups throughout the year as a way to foster the relationships among the New Professionals in the region and provide re-sources and tools to make you a better professional. I will be reaching out to your institu-tions to collect your emails, but feel free to email me directly at Jen-nifer.M.Spade@hofstra.edu to take part in any of the opportunities I’ve listed above. I’m looking forward to connecting with all of you!

NEACUHO Committee Reports

New

Professional

Development

NEACUHO Committee Reports

Social Issues The Social Issues Committee has just started to get up and running for the 2014-2015 year. We are looking at several different areas where we can provide opportunities for NEACUHO members to learn and discuss more on the wide range of topics that fall with-in Social Issues. In the coming months we will share with members our specific plans as they develop. If you have any questions, ideas for the Committee or interest in contributing to social is-sues knowledge in NEACUHO, contact Anna Morreale at amorreal@skidmore.edu.

Greetings NEACUHO! I hope you are all having a smooth start into your semester! The

Program Committee has already begun their work for the upcoming year. This year we

will be working closely with each of the other committee chairs to assist them in any way

that they might need. It is our hope that by having a stronger connection with each of their

conferences we will be able to offer a well-rounded selection of programs at this year’s

annual at WPI.

Currently the committee has begun to split into our sub-committee responsibilities. Some

of the things that we are beginning to work on are; a program proposal guide, an improved

information packet on TED Talks & the poster board presentations, at least one presenta-

tion at the upcoming Fall Drive-In/New Professionals Conference, as well as assessing the

information gather from this past years annual programs. If you have a suggestion on a top-

ic or presentation that you would like to see at one of our conferences please feel free to

contact me or a member of my committee and we will work to ensure that it is offered.

Look forward to seeing you all at one of our events this upcoming year!

Program

Welcome to a new year NEACUHO. I am happy to be serving as this year’s Risk Manage-ment and Legal Issues Committee Chair. Our goal this year is to bring you interesting and helpful information in a convenient way. Each NEACUHO Navigator will have an article with a risk management or legal slant. These articles will be of particular interest to new Chief Housing Officers, Seasoned CHOs, as well as professionals who are looking to get their feet wet on the topics being discussed at the senior level in housing and residential life. Throughout the year, you will find information from us on comfort animals, title IX, gender inclusive housing, hiring practices, and many others. The committee will ensure there is a presentation or roundtable at selected conferences that hit on many of these issues. Should you ever have any suggestions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me at Jennifer.crane@quinnipiac<mailto:Jennifer.crane@quinnipiac>. Also, thank you to the following colleagues for your interest; Johnathon Bragg, Michael Prinkey, Jeff Sawyer, and Robert Vass. If anyone out there is interested in joining our efforts, please feel free to con-tact me as well. I wish you all a low risk and non-legal issues year.

Risk Manage-

ment & Legal

Issues

Q&A on RD2B

Julia Chatzinoff, University of Massachusetts Jason Rizk, Southern Connecticut State

Q: When Resident Assistants ask “what’s in it for me” attending RD2B, what is the top thing you would tell them? A: I would emphasize the importance of networking in Student Affairs and the plethora of opportunities to do that at RD2B. (JR) You will get to experience what a job interview conference feels like and practice your interview skills. You will also get personal advice from a professional in the field. Most importantly, you will have the chance to connect with future col-leagues. (JC) Q: My professional development budget is pretty small– help me sell this to my supervisors. How will this help my de-partment grow? A: For Resident Assistants, you will have the opportunity to compare your role to that of other RA’s around the region. You will leave with connections, skills and confidence to bring back to your institution. (JC) There are roundtables that provide opportunities to discuss best practices and current trends– information that could be vital to the success of a Residence Life department. There is also an opportunity to recruit future employees. (JR)

Q: What is one thing you would like fellow professionals to know about mentoring at RD2B? A: Mentoring at RD2B gives professionals an opportunity to give back to the field and support an incoming class of new professionals. (JR) I had a fantastic experience. I was matched with 4-5 students from different institutions and their energy and excitement for their future careers was really infectious. I am still in touch with a few of the students I met at the conference. It was overall a very energizing day. (JC) Q: What has been the most interesting thing about committee work so far? A: It is the relationships I have built with my colleagues, both professionally and personally. I have a network of support from my regional colleagues, which comes in handy when I take part in the development of new initiatives at my universi-ty. (JR) Q: What would you say to a busy professional who wants to pitch in with committee work but isn’t sure s/he can afford the time? A: The ability to create experiences for future members of the field is highly rewarding. Being part of a committee allows me to contribute to the growth of residence life as a profession. (JC)

Answers edited and condensed for space. (ed.)

NEACUHO thanks our corporate associates:

Dynamic Influence

www.dynamicinfluence.com, 508-963-5555

The Fitchburg State University Housing and Residential Services department had a stellar RA Training this

past August. Resident Assistant’s were happy, RD’s were happy, and both learning and fun were had by all.

The success of this particular training was extra rewarding as three of our five professional staff members

were brand new to the University at the time that it commenced.

I was a bit nervous about running the most important training of the year with a brand new professional staff

and only one year of experience myself. While we do have a naturally good staff dynamic, I also feel that our

success with training can be attributed to the employment of specific strategies on all of our parts. We came to

the table with some team-based knowledge already, but there was also much that we learned during the pro-

cess that contributed to our success.

All I Really Need to Know About Being an RD

I Learned in RA Training

Jessie Montville, RD, Fitchburg State University

Continued next page

The theme of our training this year was “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in RA Training”, adapted from

the poem “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” by Robert Fulghum. Therefore, I thought it

appropriate to create my own variation of this poem to summarize what myself and the rest of the Fitchburg

State University Resident Directors learned in RA training this year:

All I really need

to know about being an RD

I learned in RA Training.

Wisdom was not at the top of a mountain

but there in the moments between sessions with my colleagues.

These are the things I learned:

There is no “I” in coffee run.

During training, there is never just one “RD on Duty”.

Say yes to everything; and if you can’t, then say yes to the next thing. The path of least resistance is the only

path.

Balance work with fun.

There is never enough and there will never be enough time- learn to

accept this early on.

“Please” and “thank you” are your favorite words.

Ask questions. Get to know each other.

Trust in your staff.

Trust in yourself.

Vent to each other- in private, of course.

Make each other laugh. Often.

Communication is the key to survival.

Your “game face” is your only face.

Take time for yourself- even if it’s 10 minutes hiding under the desk in

your office; or 20 minutes reading a book before bed.

Encourage each other to take time for yourselves.

Your middle name is Flexibility.

Criticism and feedback are only ever addressed in private.

Divide and conquer. On everything.

Reflect on your departmental goals often.

Remember that you are all in it together - if one of you fails, you all fail.

Know that it will go by in the blink of an eye; and be sure to cherish it.

Compliment each other on a job well done.

Celebrate when it is over.

*Take any of these concepts and apply them to your own institution. Think what a better team you could be if

you all- the whole professional staff- could live and work by these rules. And it is still true, no matter who you

are or where you go, that it is always best to work together and be a team.

All I Really Need . . . continued from previous page

For many colleges and universities a comfort animal may still be a foreign concept or you cringe at the thought of having random animals in the residence halls. However, it is becoming more and more of an issue for today’s college student. Let’s start with the basics and what is required. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) states, “persons with disabilities may request a reasona-ble accommodation for any assistance animal, including an emotional support animal, under both the FHAct (Fair Housing Act) and Section 504 “. Reasonable accommodation is a change, exception, or adjustment that may be necessary for a per-son with a disability to have equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling, including public and common use space (HUD & DOJ, 2004). It is essential to know the difference between a service animal and a therapy or comfort animal. An assistance animal is the umbrella term that covers both service and emotional animals. A service animal, including trained dogs and miniature horses, has been trained to perform certain tasks for a person who has a physical, mental, or intellectual disability. An emotional support animal provides therapeutic benefits to someone who has a psychiatric or mental dis-ability. These animals are not trained for a particular purpose (Kresig & Figg, 2013). Wesleyan University, in Middletown, Connecticut has developed a process for comfort animals. At Wesleyan, if a student wishes to request an assistance animal, they must fill out a Housing Accommodation request and have a medical profession-al complete the form. “By having each party complete a different form, it allows us to see the nexus between the student's request and the information the provider is submitting on the student's behalf” explains Stacy Phelps, Assistant Director of Residential Life. Most universities have a committee that reviews medical accommodations and special requests. These committees are typi-cally made up of a representative from Residential Life or Housing, Health Services and learning or disability support ser-vices. It is important to keep in mind the group must not grow to be too large because of confidential medical information that is reviewed. When considering assistance animals of any kind, this could be the same group that reviews the request.

It is not necessary to create a new group specifically for this request. According to Phelps, variables they consider when re-viewing the request, are the impact of the animal, is the impact mild or moderate, and whether or not the student’s condition is determined to be a disability.

Are You Ready For Your First Comfort Animal? Jennifer Crane, Director of Residential Life, Quinnipiac University

It is essential to know the difference

between a service animal and a

therapy or comfort animal.

Continued on next page

A common concern when creating an institutional policy is the concern of how the animal will affect the roommates and how to address it. The outcome depends on the presenting issue. Phelps says, “If it is an allergy, we will contact the stu-dent with the assistance animal and tell them that they will need to relocate, live in the space without the animal or look into a different animal. If it is related to a fear or a dislike of animals, that student can either relocate or we can mediate between the assistance animal owner and the student”. It is a good idea to have a contract or written agreement between all the roommates to discuss expectations and outline who is specifically responsible for the animals behavior in this situa-tion. The Risk Management and Legal Issues recommends these sources for further information:

www.hud.gov

Beyond the Americans with Disabilities Act: Inclusive Policy and Practice for Higher Education. Vance, List, & Parks. (May 7, 2014). Edward Coolbaugh, Assistant Dean of students/Director of Residential Life and Housing at Col-lege of the Holy Cross wrote the chapter specifically related to housing.

Your institutions department of disabilities or support services

References Kresig & Figg. (2013). Service Animals and Assistance Animals for People with Disabilities in Housing and HUD-Funded Programs. U.S Department of Justice and Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2004) Reasonable Accommodations Un-der the Fair Housing Act. Vance, List, & Parks. (2014) Beyond the Americans with Disabilities Act: Inclusive Policy and Practice for Higher Educa-tion.

Are you ready? Continued from previous page.

Residential

Operations

Trade Show

Start preparing now for the

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts

December 5, 2014

RD2B (2) Mt. Ida College

Newton, MA February 21, 2015

The ACUHO-I Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE) took place at the end of June 2014 in Wash-

ington D.C. I am very grateful to NEACUHO that I was able to attend ACE for the first time after receiving a scholarship

for the Professional Development Award; I had an absolutely wonderful experience. Upon my arrival to Washington D.C.

my learning experience began, at first through some very comical traveling experiences but ultimately concluding with

knowledge gained in areas of our profession that had me thinking about things from a completely different angle.

Over the course of the conference I was able to attend a number of sessions on a variety of topics: graduate student hous-

ing, assessment, supervision, living learning communities, students with disabilities, and building community to name a

few. In addition the opportunities to network, connect with new people, reconnect with old friends and colleagues, talk

with exhibitors, and consider new ideas are immense.

One session in particular that I have been thinking about since ACE was during the second session block on the first full

day. “Redefining Community: Digital and Physical” presented by Elizabeth MacPherson and Bill LaPatra from Mithun and

Pamela Schreiber from the University of Washington. The presentation began with a brief history of housing on college

campuses; how our profession came to be from dormitory housing up to the amenity filled residence halls of today. Mithun

was able to show several projects they had been involved with on multiple campuses that were aimed at constructing spaces

that are multi-functional, designed to build community and provide an atmosphere where learning could happen outside of

the classroom. From there the topic turned to discussing our physical spaces and how they might aid in the building of

community more in depth. Several questions were raised by the presenters: What does ‘community’ mean to our students?

How do we know this? What type of community do students want and how do they find them? What do we do to support

their pursuit of community? These were excellent questions and ones that I know a great number of us have been asking in

some form or another quite a bit recently. After the presentation ended, I was able to connect with Pam Schreiber and talk

about these questions and the concepts presented in the session. Recently Pam and I had a phone call to further discuss the

University of Washington’s approach to building community and plan to connect more in the future. For me, this was an

amazing session I have been thinking about since, and even started a new professional network with the University of

Washington – what the conference going experience is all about!

Throughout my career to date, I have been very fortune to attend quite a few conferences put on by several different or-

ganizations; including area specific, regional drive-ins, annuals and nationals. My experience at ACUHO-I’s ACE was one

of the best I have had to date. In thinking about my experiences at other national conferences a few things come to mind

and why ACUHO-I ACE stood out. As someone who is interested in the housing and residence life field as their career

path in Student Affairs, attending a conference that is focused on those areas specifically had me looking at the conference

schedule and often trying to choose between multiple presentations in the same session block – the variety and applicability

was superb. Everyone was very friendly and willing to discuss ideas and information share. I met a lot of new people and

had some very interesting and thought provoking conversations; with both my NEACUHO network but also with folks

from other countries or parts of the United States that I do not have the opportunity to connect with and learn from on a

regular basis. If you have never been, I highly recommend it!

Report on ACUHO-I Annual Conference and Exposition

Casey L. Wall, Associate Director of Residential Education, WPI

It is difficult to believe that I am already in the final year of my Master's Degree in College Student Development & Coun-seling at Northeastern University. Along the way, I have encountered my fair share of challenges, successes, and stumbles both in the classroom and in my assistantship as a Graduate Residence Director at Bay State College. That being said, I have much to learn going forward, especially as I prepare to enter the "real world" of full-time employment (pinch me please!). The area that has been the most challenging, as it is for many emerging student affairs professionals, is balancing the demands of my graduate program while simultaneously navigating the responsibilities of overseeing a residence hall and all its residents. For all my StrengthsQuest fans out there, being an "Achiever" identifies me as someone who sets out to work tirelessly to complete a significant task, which can make for a long day. Having a full year of graduate experience under my belt has enabled me to confront the following challenges, while still allowing myself to fall short in some areas without beating myself up about it. Challenge #1: Making time for oneself: Thankfully, as I mature in the position, I find this becoming less of one of those "do as I say, not as I do" pieces of advice. It may seem evident, but making personal time for oneself is crucial for sanity. Putting your phone on silent (well, maybe not the "on call" phone, but you get the gist) is perfectly okay from time to time. Leaving the campus premises, perhaps even while on call, to go for an afternoon jog around town is a great way to prevent stress buildup of the everyday job re-sponsibilities. Personally, Sundays are the perfect "me" day, because going for a morning run, and watching NFL Football (with friends or by myself) is the perfect solution for re-charging my batteries for the upcoming week. Whatever your "me" time activity may be, don't sacrifice your life for your work — one cannot exist without the other! Challenge #2: The student becomes the teacher Becoming a professional in student affairs is a process, not an overnight makeover. At times, it may seem that being a grad-uate student limits your capacity for professionalism, but I have found that to be far from the truth. There are numerous professional development opportunities, including: serving on committees, to presenting workshops and attending confer-ences. These are all key ingredients for transitioning into a valuable professional in this field — take advantage! Challenge #3: Prioritizing importance over urgency This is a particularly difficult challenge for me, and I would assume the same for a large population of emerging residence life professionals. Because we operate in a helping profession, it is natural that we desire to assist our residents, colleagues, and supervisors. When something is urgent and needs attention right away, of course that is the priority at the moment, but our health should be priority #1. So, when I feel like I need to step out of the office for a breather, or call and check in on my family or close friends, I am increasingly confident that the world will do just fine for those fifteen minutes I am away.

Balancing Life as a Graduate Student Jabril Robinson, Residence Director, Bay State College

Strive to be the best residence life professional you

can be, but don’t let that be the sole experience

that defines you.

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Challenge #4: Living in the “here and now” I learned this in during my eye-opening experience as an Orientation Leader at Bridgewater State University. As we were gearing up for each new student session, our supervisor would remind us to be in the “here and now.” This means not wor-rying about the nighttime entertainment session, or what lunch would be in the afternoon, or even if students would enjoy their orientation experience enough to actually stay on campus for the year. That same logic applies to residence life. We preoccupy ourselves with our upcoming conduct meetings, Residence Hall Association agendas, and other tasks. In doing so, we put ourselves in jeopardy of missing out on why so many of us choose this profession: the profound relationships we can build. We are blessed to work and live in an environment where we can make a difference in someone’s life everyday. As important as documents, meetings, and other tasks are, taking a moment to enjoy what we do is something I strive to do consistently. Challenge #5: Networking outside one’s comfort zone (i.e. your function-al area) One of my favorite aspects of residence life is the opportunity to partner with other offices and departments around me. Part of this is because I work at such a physically small cam-pus. Taking the initiative to approach others outside of residence life has been a huge com-ponent of what I appreciate here at Bay State. While the feasibility of this varies by institu-tion type, it should be strived for because eve-ryone can benefit from partnerships. Not only do I have the privilege of discovering how oth-er departments serve students, I also get to help enrich the experiences of students (both on and off-campus). For instance, I have served on First Year Experience summer book committees, led focus groups, worked with Student Success Coordinators, presented on social media for incoming student orientation, volunteered at a career fair, and even chaperoned off-campus student activities trips. What makes me appreciate these tasks even more is that they were all optional. I believe that the best way to make a name in this field — and perhaps even life in general — is to go above and beyond the basic job description. And who knows, maybe we will discover a committee, position, or individual that changes our lives, just as residence life (hopefully) has! My overall piece of advice is this: strive to be the best residence life professional you can be, but don’t let that be the sole experience that defines you. Whether it is student activities, ca-reer services, academic advising, or athletics, try a new experience, build connections outside your field, and bring it back to residence life to enrich our field and make it even stronger!

Balancing Life, continued from previous page.

Sometimes we just need to step away from the desk for a few minutes.

Perspectives on the Profession From a former Chief Housing Officer.

Chuck Lamb

After stepping back from a rewarding and stimulating career in residence life, I would like to give you a perspective on the profession and share with you what I've learned in my time serving in the wonderful world of Residence Life/student housing. In the past 40 years I have worked beside some of the great professionals of this generation; Jim Grimm, Doris Collins, Carmen Vance, Paul Oliaro, Jim Casey, Deanne Molinari, Garry Johnson, Jack Collins, Kathleen Bouchard, Joe Maresco, Gordon Bigelow, Bob Mosier, Pat Mielke, and many others-all wonderful student housing colleagues, each different in his/her own way. I learned first and foremost that your allegiance as a staff member is always going to be mixed-to the administration, to your staff, to the students, to your family and friends. The promise you made is clear, however: to support and assist stu-dents and staff, not the institution. For senior staff, this also may include younger staff. I learned that leadership is hard. Karl von Clausewitz once said that "everything in war is easy, but the easy things are difficult." Leadership is not war. However, what sounds easy in the books and in training workshops is quite difficult in real life. Leadership is difficult because it is a human interaction and nothing could be more daunting, more frustrating, and more complex than trying to lead men and women in challenging situations and with evolving students who need our assis-tance. Staff members that do it well earn your respect because doing it poorly is common place. You will be challenged to do it well. But when you get it right, it feels great! I learned that taking care of staff is not about coddling them but positively challenging them. Establishing a standard of ex-cellence and holding them accountable for reaching it. I learned that good staff leads from the front. I can't count the times that I saw or heard about quality staff walking the halls and residence areas when students are present to encourage and support them. Ours is not always a 9-5 day job. If you want a job with bankers hours, go work in a bank! Chief Housing Officers and other staff are continually challenged to balance their schedules to ensure quality time is spent with family and other special people in their lives. Missing athletic events or school plays or some conferences with teach-ers, being late for dinner and other family events may happen but should be minimized. The residence life organization can truly function without you 24/7 and leadership empowers you to delegate participation in events. Other staff may appreci-ate the opportunity to engage in a different fashion. It creates empowerment to share the load. I learned that if you are in residence life, go where the action is the hottest. Spend time with the students whenever possi-ble. If you're an RD, a member of the operations team, staff responsible for room assignments and roommate matching or facilities staff member, spend some time to speak with others about your work and truly dialogue with students. Whatever position or “branch” you are in, find the toughest, most challenging situation in your organization and go do it and/or as-sist. The learning process never ceases regardless of age or title. I learned that you sometimes won't get a lot of thanks in return. I learned that you shouldn't expect it. Your staff is doing the tough job every day, but I guarantee you, you will learn a lot about your staff and they will learn a lot about you.

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I learned that if you are in residence life . . . Spend time with the students whenever possible.

Perspectives, continued from previous page.

I learned that the great leaders know how to fail and use that to their advantage. In the course of your career you may fall short of the established expectations. Nothing prepares you for the next challenge like failure. Few staff members I have watched got it right the first time, every time. Learn to sincerely apologize, demonstrate you are human and try not to make the same mistake twice. If you can't accept some failure, then you will never be a great leader. I learned that great residence life leaders are risk takers, but the greatest risk is not necessarily in the halls or apartments we manage, but in standing up for what's right. I learned that the great staffs are equally good at following as they are at leading. Following is one of the most underrated aspects of leadership. We are all asked to follow someone else. The strength of a good organization may rest more on how well the staff member follows their leader, than how well they lead their own staff. I have seen many a good Resident Di-rector or middle manager underachieve because they thought the individual at the next level was incompetent and quietly worked to undermine his/her authority. Table talk over lunch fills time but is rarely constructive. During the course of your career you will work for leaders whom you don't like and don't respect. It will be easy to make fun of their idiosyncrasies, their receding hair line, their wardrobe or their decisions. Be careful. As long as the actions of your leader are moral, legal and ethical, then do everything you can to support the chain of command and avoid the rolling eyes, the whisper campaigns and junior staff dissension. I learned that one of the greatest privileges the residence life profession can bestow upon you is to give you the oppor-tunity to lead and supervise wonderful men and women. These staffs will, at times, question your authority. They will question your decisions, frustrate you, disappoint you, and occasionally fail you. Then, when the chips are down, they will inspire you with their creativity, their sense of commitment, their emerging leadership, their love for this profession, their respect and their passion of working with students. In difficult times, your staff will be everything you dreamed they would be and more if you have selected them wisely and trained them well. End of year ceremonies rec-ognize the best of the best and for the right reasons. We reinforce that essential behavior and create role models we hope others will follow. I learned that staffs are at their best when their fellow staff are challenged, need assistance, when life challenges them and their enthusiastic spirit shines through. One of your responsibilities is to assist with their success and evolution by engaging them, empowering them, energizing them, challenging and positively reinforcing them. I learned, in watching the evolution of residence life during my career, that few organizations in the world have the excite-ment, the positive response to emerging challenges, the traditions, or the pride of this profession. I am envious beyond words. I learned that whether you serve 4 years or 40 years you will never, ever regret your decision to have joined the residence life ranks. You will work beside the finest staff in higher education. You will be challenged every day. As a Chief Housing Officer or emerging leader you will grow. You will change. You will fail. You will succeed. You will have experiences to fill life ten times and stories that your family and friends will never be able to understand or truly ap-preciate. Perhaps your only regret will be that you could not have served longer. I learned that there is no more better calling in the higher education than to be a staff member in residence life. Good luck to you as you complete this year.

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David Ortiz striking out reminds us that failure is the best way to learn.

New Faces and Transitions

Hobart and William Smith

Hobart and William Smith Colleges are excited to announce transitions and new additions to our Residential Educa-tion staff. This year will be a pivotal year for the department, as we revisit our organizational mission and vision.

Brandon Barile has transitioned to Director of Residential Education after four years at the institution, serving as Assistant Director of Housing

Operations and Associate Director of Residential Education.

Shelle Basilio has been appointed as Assistant Director of Housing Opera-tions and oversees the housing assignment process and serves as the primary liaison to buildings and grounds, student accounts, and information technology.

Darnell Pierce continues as the Assistant Director of Residential Education and Club Sports, and has assumed additional responsibilities for professional staff training, supervising independent living options, and providing over-sight to the RA program.

We also welcomed two area coordinators, Caitlin Daley (left) and Jenn Pedersen (right).

The Julliard School

The Juilliard School is happy to welcome Todd Porter as the newly created Director of Residence Life. Todd joined the student affairs team this past July. Todd has worked professionally in residence life and student housing for a decade at a variety of different institutions, most recently as the Associate Di-rector for Residential Life at Mount Holyoke College in Western Massachusetts. Todd received his un-dergraduate degree from the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver, where he studied cello and chamber music with Richard Slavich, Katherine Knight, and Richard von Foerster. He received his master’s degree and graduate certificate in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education and Insti-tutional Research from Ball State University. Todd’s degrees in music and higher education make him a perfect match for Juilliard!

C.H.O. Institute

March 6, 2015 Massachusetts College

Of Liberal Arts

North Adams, MA

Mid-Level Institute

March 27, 2015 Johnson State College

Johnson, VT

It’s not too early to get excited . . .